Scotland Is The First Country In The World To Make Sanitary Products Free For Everyone

Having a period is completely normal for every woman. However, buying sanitary napkins, tampons, and all other period products every month is a whole other matter. If you make a rough calculation an average woman spends around 6000 dollars in her reproductive years (13-52). So, that’s a huge amount of money.

Period poverty is a real problem in many countries. One survey that was conducted on 2000 women reveled that 49% confronted shorted need to period products, such as sanitary napkins, tampons, and other menstrual hygienic toiletries.

If all women have access to these basic products than they would miss out less on things because of their periods. Moreover, if you think about it, there is a tight link between period poverty and finances. The price of these products is high and on top of that, they have tax. Yet the availably of these products is another issue. High schools, universities, hotels, workplaces should have accessibility to such products free of charge. So, in this so-called modern century, they must be available and free to anyone who needs them. We must raise awareness on this issue and fight period poverty and elevate the accessibility of these types of products.

There is one country that decided to make all of the period products free and available to everyone.

The First Country That You Can Get Period Products For Free

The parliament of Scotland accepted procedures to make all of the period products available and free to all women who need them. The bill makes the country first to do this. For all women of Scotland sanitary pads and tampons as well as other products will be available for free in many public places such as pharmacies, high schools, and community centers.

Monica Lennon is the first spokeswoman who listed this bill in 2017.

“Sanitary menstrual products are not a luxury but they are really needed. No one in Scotland should remain deprived of these products, and with this bill, we send signals so the Parliament takes gender equality seriously” said Monica Lennon. This move will cost Scotland around 24m pounds a year approximately. One hundred and twelve people voted in favor of implementing free sanitary napkins and tampons while only one person abstains from the vote and no one voted against.

Otherwise, sanitary stuff in the United Kingdom have five percent tax. However, former Prime Minister David Cameron’s government said they want to put an end to tampon taxes. It did not work, because the EU had rules to tax specific products.